I suggest that tango is imbedded in culture. Any comparatively sudden or dramatic changes are not evolutionary. The only thing that does survive is the name. I also believe that many use the term "modern" music and style, instead of "new" music and style. Modernising music and style in my opinion, is what took place in tango between say the 1930s to 1950s. To me, modernising means refining, not changing. Thereafter in my opinion, tango music became heavily influenced by other globally immerging music styles and ceased to be a dance music and association to its predecessor became increasingly stretched. But the name survived. Fortunately this phenomenon didn't happen to the Turkey Trot or Cakewalk, as eloquently stated in a previous post. Mention those names and everyone gets a clear image of what we're talking about. Not so with tango. Simply, the desire of people to dance them died, not the dances themselves. They still hibernate. The option of changing the music and the dance but keeping the name wasn't deployed. However tango has not reached the point of losing a large core of advocates. It is still healthily supported in milongas around the world in its traditional form. Where is the imperative to change it, except amongst those who aren't satisfied by the classical form. That's where the driving force for change emanates. They want something quite different from that of the traditional advocates, but confuse the issue by an unwillingness to tag the "modern" music and style with their own generic label. I like the "new" style of music and dance. But to me it's not tango. No more than say the "Kizomba" (which I happen to particularly like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_d6FZYl4Qk&feature=related). And it certainly doesn't coexist happily at milongas. Fundamentally I think it's a clash of cultures. Same as I prefer a nicely matured red as opposed to an alcopop. Sorry! It sprang to mind and I couldn't resist. I don't really mean it.
Anton -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Thursday, 14 April 2011 2:42 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Better? Worse? Just different Well, this recurring theme has been resurrected yet again. Some of the postings remind me of the e-mails that circulate about the good old days when there were no internet, no cellphones, and no seat belts. The fact that A. tango is danced to modern music in a modern style is healthy. It shows, among other things, that tango is adapting and evolving. If it did not evolve and adapt, it would die going the way of the Turkey Trot and the Cakewalk. There is nothing wrong with honoring tango's past but not at the expense of destroying its future. Bob San Francisco _______________________________________________ Tango-L mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l _______________________________________________ Tango-L mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l
